Tangled
by Huedekaiser
Summary: (KudaxOrna) "I don't have anything to say. I just do what I want. Always have, always will." Kuda is a Master Assassin. He has never questioned the gods' orders, only followed them. He has always worked by himself, trusting in only his own strength to fight. Romance? Forget about it! But all that changes when he meets a certain overly-ecstatic whip soldier. (T for some language)
1. A New Target

Hurray my first fanfic! It could use a lot of work still so please feel free to critique it.

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><p>"<em>Kuda, do you know why I have called you here?"<em>

_I sighed, "No. Care to enlighten me oh great creator?"_

"_It's because of this" she replied pulling out a flyer. "Do you know what this is?"_

"_A wrinkly piece of paper?" _

"_No, THIS is a permanent reminder of how your failures have further humiliated the gods' armies. Ahem, "REJOICE! Citizens of Mistral, for your brave and powerful hero Atro has triumphed over the gods' army while defending the Ruins of Mirza! This marks the 50th victory against the gods and the 10__th__ victory in Mistral! The citizens of Mistral have graciously-"_

"_Stop" I said firmly. "The past is the past, there is no point in recounting my past failures just because they appear on a piece of paper. I shall assassinate him the next time we-"_

"_FOOL!" Barked Maxwell "This your attitude is the reason we lost that battle in Mirza."_

"_Pfft, Not my fault" I said as a matter-of-factly. "Narza can't fight for shi-"_

"_Enough of this." Maxwell said, the anger in her voice rising. "This is the FIFTH time Atro has caused heavy casualties among our ranks because of your failed assassination. Narza was doing all he could, but even he could not stop the power of that knight! The whole reason I employed you was so you could eliminate one of the humans' prime leaders, and since you can't do that, then I do see any point in keeping you here."_

"_So what do you want from me then?"_

"_I have a new task for you. You see, Ulkina has scouted the area and she found what appears to be a massive ice beast that attacks the village near the Egor Mountains. It has extremely powerful ice attacks that cause massive craters in the landscape. I want you to-"_

_I cut her off. "Kill it? Easy! Giving me a real challenge eh? I like this side of you Maxie…"_

"_Uh, no" Maxwell replied coldly. "I want you to befriend it."_

_This caught me off guard, "What? Why me? Who do you think I am, some sort of-"_

"_You see" Maxwell interrupted "This creature can be a very important addition to our forces. The sheer power of those attacks could turn this war in our favor!"_

"_Can't you just send little Miss Treehugger to do it?" I groaned._

"_Unfortunately, Tia is busy trying to repair the damage of a forest fire-which I might add is also a result of your failed assassinations."_

_I exhaled sharply "So just recruit it?"_

"_Yes, now that shouldn't be too hard should it _Master Assassin?" _she taunted_

"_Fine" I replied sharply. "Later Maxie" I said as I stood up from the chair and turned towards the exit._

"_Oh I forgot to tell you" Maxwell said as I reached the doors. "Fail THIS task and it'll terminate your contract, which means no pay and marks you as an enemy of the gods"._

"_Yeah, yeah whatever Maxie" I replied opening the door_

"_And Kuda?" She added, "Don't you ever call me 'Maxie' again."_

"_Why?" I retorted. "Is that was Cardes calls you in be-"_

_My witty reply was cut off by the sound of Maxwell's spear sailing at blinding speeds and colliding with the door, narrowly grazing the side of my face._

"_Close one Maxie, almost as close as the time you let Cardes-"_

"_OUT!" She screamed, pink rising to her cheeks as I laughed and shut the door behind me._


	2. A Friendly Gesture?

"Who does she think she is? Making me to a recruiter…I mean, sure I haven't had much success lately, but that's no reason to demote me, wouldn't you agree?"

"Mhm yeah." Came the flat reply from the lilac-haired mage in front of me. Her nose was buried in a book, as usual. She had told me before it contained ancient water spells that could be used to wreak havoc in battle. Though, you'd figure that she should have at least memorized everything in it considering the amount of time she spent reading…

"Look, Kuhla" I said impatiently. "I'm sure your book is extremely important, but I'm pouring out my problems to you, so could you at least give a proper reply? Why did you call me to the library anyway?"

Her "response" was simply handing me a book and saying, "Read. Page 56. Now Shhhh."

I figured conversing with her further would be pointless, so I sat down and began to read. We were in her "domain" after all. Kuhla had proposed the addition of a library to Maxwell's temple the day she joined the God's Army. Maxwell, being her usual, stingy self reluctantly approved the project, and a month later it was completed in the west wing. It was a small circular room with a low table in the center surrounded by rows of shelves. Most of the shelves were stuffed with books and scrolls, as Kuhla had spent no time in filling them with sacred writings she had "collected" from passing water mages.

I was never one for reading, and Kuhla knew that, so anything she willingly handed to me needed to have some significance, least it be ripped to shreds like the _Song From the Seabed_ fairytale. In fact, none of the other loyalists bothered to come near the library at _all_. Ulkina was in her laboratory 90% of the time, Tia always tended to her animal friends outside the temple, Rowgen obsessed over his power on a daily basis, constantly going out hunting (much to Tia's dismay), and Narza, well, for all I know he could be sitting alone in a room talking to his sword.

I sat down and quickly flipped to page 56 and stared at the image printed on it. The image showed the outline of a massive fortress with what looked like a deity floating in the middle. Spikes protruded from every imaginable angle, and there were what appeared to be two smaller figures in front of it. The text at the top of the page read "Skramya: the Ice Vermin". Faded writings were scrawled at the bottom of the page, and I could barely make out the words "bind", "new world", and "frozen" out.

"Hey Kuhla, whats-"

"Your target."

I blinked. Now that she mentioned it, this did seem like the type of beast Maxwell was describing to me. But how did Kuhla know about this? Had she been informed of my new mission already? "How did you-?" I began.

"Maxwell." she answered simply

I felt the anger return to my body, "Oh she did, didn't she? Maxie couldn't help but inform _everyone_ of my faliures! She makes me sick do you know that?"

Kuhla simply sighed and returned to her book

"_Is this too haaaard for you Master Assasin_?" I imitated her, interlocking my hands and putting them beside my head. "_If you fail I'll terminate your contract and make you my enemy oooh noooo…"_

Suddenly Kuhla stood up and shakily put her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes met mine and I could see her worried look. "D-did she really say t-that?" she stammered.

"Kuhla what-"

"DID SHE SAY IT OR NOT?" Kuhla exploded, her voice suddenly serious

"T-the contract elimination? Yeah, she said it, but it was probably an empty threat."

"No…" Kuhla said quietly. "She wasn't kidding."

Fear suddenly struck me. _If she eliminates my contract, then that means she can kill.." _I shook my head, that wouldn't make sense. "Can she even do something like that?" I asked worriedly.

"Yes" Kuhla answered "She has been talking about doing it in the meetings we hold while you were away. She was gonna have Rowgen do it…"

"Rowgen…" I spit "That skull-faced coward? Like hell he will. I'll be sure to-"

"SILENCE!" Kuhla interrupted again. "That isn't important right now, what's important is your ability to complete this recruitment mission. Once you do, Maxwell should reconsider the option of terminating it."

"Hey no problem Kuku" I said putting my arm around her "I'm the _Master Assassin_, I got this!"

"W-well yes I…suppose" she said looking down suddenly. "J-just don't fail or else you'll…" She trailed off.

"Hey, I said I got this right? I'll be back for you, I promise." I added.

"O-okay, whatever you say K-kuda…" she shakily replied. Suddenly, she squiggled out of my arm and ran out of the library. "S-sorry Kuda. But I have something to…uh research! Yeah that's it, research!" She exclaimed rather anxiously as she took off. Her words continued to echo behind her in the corridor until I was left in silence.

"Man, she gets weirder and weirder every time I talk to her." I laughed to myself, ripping the page about Skaramya out of the book and stuffing it into my pocket. "_Was that pink on her cheeks when she ran out?_" I thought to myself. "_It almost seemed as if she..._" I shook my head, an assassin never, EVER bothers with romance. Love weakens you and bthe object of your desires can be used against you. "Just a friendly gesture" I said to myself as I closed the library doors behind me. "Just a friendly gesture".

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><p>I don't know about you guys, but I always thought of Kuhla to be like TabithaCharlotte from Zero no Tsukaima. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! I know it's mostly dialogue for now, but the story should pick up after this. Please feel free to comment if there is anything you want me to work on :)


	3. Fateful Encounter

Alright so I tried a different type of writing style here, let's see how it turns out.

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><p>The bright moon illuminated the temple steps as I descended them. It was a long way to Mistral, so I figured that it would be best to leave during the night. Besides, that way I won't have to deal with Ulkina's religious talk, Narza's ramblings, Tia and Rowgen's daily arguments, and…I honestly didn't know what to expect from Kuhla after what happened in the library. As I continued to walk, a smile came to my face as I thought about the five other loyalists. They were certainly an unorthodox group of people that were literally brought together by the will of the gods. I would hardly consider any of them as my friends besides Kuhla, and even <em>that<em> relationship was in question. My mind returned to the idea of Maxwell terminating my contract and making me their enemy. _How would they react? Would they actually kill me if ordered by Maxwell? Would…Kuhla obey? _I forced that thought out of my head. I should not fail this mission. I cannot fail this mission. I WILL NOT fail this mission!

My thoughts were interrupted by the rhythmic sounds of footsteps on the cobblestone path in front of me. It was a steady _clop clop,_ then a pause, _clop clop, _hen a pause, _clop clop… _In a flash I dove into the bushes. I don't know who would be traversing the path from St. Lamia Palace to the Cave of Malice during this time of night, but whoever it was, they were going to get a taste of my blade whip. I could hear the footsteps get louder, and braced myself for my opponent. However, when the figure skipped into the moonlight, I was taken by surprise.

It was a _girl_. But not just any girl, it seemed. She had a ballerina-like tutu on with an opening in the middle, revealing the part of her stomach and the bottom of her breasts. It extended to what seemed like a cape divided into six separate parts of dark blue and gold. The dress sparkled in extravagant shades of black, gold, pink, purple, teal, and blue. She wore black leggings and blue and gold boots. There was also what looked like a crown on her head made of even more gold and a line of pearls. Two smooth ponytails extended from the front of the crown and rested on her shoulders. The crown had fluffy...ear covers? That draped over the sides of her head. I pondered why she would bother earing ear covers, assuming that was what they were. She seemed like one of the performers from the Atrarva Republic that travelled between towns to dance for a living. Suddenly she stopped, her yellow eyes darning from left to right. I saw her black, gloved hand rest on what appeared to be a whip with seven ends resting on her waist.

"W-who's there?" she asked hesitantly.

I smirked _this will be easy_. "Afraid of the dark?" I called ominously form my bush, my blade whip slowly sliding out from my wrist. "Well you should be!" I yelled jumping from my hiding place at incredible speed and thrusting my weapon forward.

To my surprise, she pulled out her whip just as quickly and deflected my attack with a quick lash. Her attack seemed to possess the ability of thunder, much like Rowgen, and sent me flying backwards with a small blast of electricity. Unfazed, I leapt to my feet and prepared to attack again.

Suddenly she spoke, "I-I don't want to fight you, I was just going to the temple to ask directions to M-mistral. Won't you help me Mr. Ninja?"

I blinked. "Ninja? Really?"

She giggled. "Oops, silly me." She said with a smile. "What are you then?"

"Me? I'm Kuda, the Ma-" I stopped myself. _If I let her know I'm an assassin, she'll report me once she reaches Mistral…well IF she reaches Mistral._ "Er I'm just a night traveller."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Kuda! You can call me little miss Orna!" She said with a smile.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Little Miss Orna, what a beautiful dress you have!"

She giggled again, "Thanks! Heehee, it's made out of the finest fabrics in Morgan!"

_Just a little more..._"A, but their beauty pales in comparison to yours!" I said with a bow, inciting yet another giggle from the bubbly girl. "Say Orna" I added. "Do you happen to know Lodaga?"

"The Death God?" She asked hesitantly. "No I-"

"Don't worry, you're gonna be talking to him in a second!" I yelled as I lunged at her with my blade. Her reflexes were fast enough to jump to the side as my blade was about to make contact with her stomach, but I was able to leave a large gash in her left side.

A weak groan escaped her mouth as she collapsed to one knee behind me. "Nothing personal missy, but it's kill or be killed out here." I chuckled.

"You'll…pay for…this…you..m-meanie…" She stuttered. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and an odd yellow aura surrounded her. Her whip seemed to have come to life, its seven ends levitating around her. "LUMINOUS WHIP!" She yelled as the seven endings lashed out. I could only curl my blade in front of me as the whips crashed into me at full force. The sheer power of her attack sent me flying into a nearby tree, colliding with it with a sickening crunch. I staggered to my feet and groaned. My back ached and some bones were probably broken, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. There was no way I was going to lose to this…this…well to be honest I didn't know anything about her other than her name. But that didn't matter, she was going to DIE.

"So, the rose has thorns after all…" I said mockingly as I drew my blade whip from my wrist. I took a deep breath and focused my energy into my weapon. I saw her on her knees again, obviously weakened from her previous attack. This was my chance! My blade began to glow a dark purple, and I began to feel its familiar radiation of power "…But I think it's time to clip the stem! GODLESS!" I roared, my blade thrusting out in front of me as I charged towards her. To my surprise, my attack was met with the tips of her whip, their ends wrapping around the tip of my blade in an attempt to protect their "master". I struggled against the whip. Even in her weakened state, she still possessed the willpower to command her whip to protect herself.

With each passing second, My blade would inch closer to her, but at the same time her whip would coil itself closer o my wrist. _If this continues, the whip will come into contact with my skin and…_ I shook the thought out of my head again and continued to focus all my energy into thrusting the blade into her chest. The tip of my blade was now mere inches away from her. We locked eyes. Her initial look of innocence had been replaced by a hardened stare, one that often showed itself on the faces of my clients as they locked blades with me. It was a look of survival, a sign that her body had been taken over by her survival instinct, and that she was quite literally fighting for her life. I always enjoyed seeing that look on the faces of my clients. Their last-second willpower always amused me and gave me the adrenaline to deal the finishing blow. But this time was different. I don't know why, but seeing her like this gave me a weird feeling, as if I shouldn't have tricked her into letting her guard down in the first place. _Is this guilt?_ I thought. _Impossible. There is no way I would feel guilt for-_ My thoughts were interrupted as a massive explosion erupted form between our weapons, sending us both flying with a flash of light. My head hit something hard, and my vision went black.

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><p>Alright another chapter done! I'll try to fit more stuff per chapter as there is quite a ways to go fir this little story. Please continue to review to let me know if I should change. anything.<p> 


	4. Reminders and Promises

_Alright Chapter 4! Do you get a small hint of Disney's Tangled I added? :3_

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><p><em>"<em>_You hesitated."_

My eyes shot open to the familiar sounding voice. To my surprise, I found that I was not in any forest path but in a white room. There were no windows or doors, but the open ceiling was filling the room with a blinding light. There was nothing in the room except for a large, white throne currently occupied by an annoyed Goddess. _So, Maxie is dream stalking me again_. I thought. This was her way of "checking up" on us during our missions to ensure we are completing them to the best of our abilities. I hated this, but she had this power as long as our contract remained intact.

"_You hesitated." _She repeated.

"Wh-what are you talking-"

_"Don't play innocent__ Kuda." _She interrupted. _"Why did you not kill that whip wielding whore? There was a perfect opportunity to kill her, yet you didn't take it. Have you gone soft oh great Master Assassin?"_

"What does it matter?" I snapped "She is of no importance to this mission, so leaving her alive won't jeopardize anything."

Maxwell laughed _"If only you knew…"_

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"_Oh you'll find out soon enough_." Maxwell replied mysteriously.

"What the hell is that supposed to-"

_"__Enough. I have contacted you with vital information. Ulkina has scouted out a large human army gathering in Mistral and has overheard their plans to attack in two weeks. " _

"And this is my problem because…?"

_"__Because of your mission." _Maxwell finished impatiently. "_If you manage to recruit the ice beast, you will be able to put an end to their attack before it even begins! That would cause a massive blow to the worthless human army and it may even end this pitiful war once and for all."_

"Well if they are so pitiful then why the hell are we losing-"

_"__So." _Maxwell interrupted firmly. _"Now is your chance to redeem yourself and put us in the lead. Succeed and I'll have you promoted to second-in-command…" _

I blinked. _Second in command? _I thought. _That'll put me above Rowgen and Narza! I can finally have something to rub in their pompous little faces!_

_"__Fail however, and I'll be sure to put up a large reward among the loyalists for your head."_ Maxwell finished firmly.

"Very well" I sighed. "But what about the whip-girl? Weren't you saying something about her having an impact in this mission?"

"_Whatever you two do together is none of my business." _Maxwell said haughtily.

"What-" I began.

"_Enough." _She interrupted again. _"Our meeting is through. Farewell Master Assassin."_

She raised her arms above her head and I squinted my eyes as a bright light emitted from her. The light began to fill up the entire room until I could see nothing but white. I closed my eyes…

When I opened them, I found myself back in the forest leaning against a tree. I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and recalled why I had collapsed in the first place. I slowly took in the familiar sights and feelings of the morning. The warm sun shining through a gap between the tall, red trees, the cool and refreshing morning breeze on my face, the soft screeches of harpies and sylphs flying about, the warm feeling of another body pressed against mine, the-

Wait a minute. What? I looked down slowly and beheld a sleeping Orna cuddled against me. Her hair had been ruffled slightly, and she had some injuries on her face that had presumably resulted from the explosion. Her eyes were shut tightly and her lips were formed into a slight smile as she snuggled against my right side. Her position was actually quite adorable, almost adorable enough for me to allow her to sleep peacefully until she woke up on her own. Almost.

"GAAAH!" I exclaimed, waking her up with a jolt. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

"Wh-whaaa…" She said sleepily. "N-no princess we were…" Her eyes suddenly widened as she realized her position.

"AAAH!" She yelled, jumping away from me and scooting away backward on her hands and feet. "I-I was just…"

"Look Orna, or Little Miss Orna or whatever. I know I'm a pretty attractive guy, but we should at least get to know each other better before you do something like _this!_" I glared at her.

"N-no it wasn't like th-that!" She explained frantically, a slight pink rising to her cheeks. "It was just really cold last night and I couldn't start the fire and I was really tiredand youlookedreallyuncomfortableand-"

"Enough. That's…okay I guess." I said calmly, silencing her panicked explanation. "It was a one time thing so…"

"Yes, yes" she nodded, suddenly happy. "One time thing, right. I won't sleep with you ever again!" she exclaimed, grinning at me.

"Er…yeah. Whatever." I replied sheepishly. Suddenly I remembered Maxwell's warnings. "Wait, what day is it?"

"Tuesday, 14 days until the winter solstice." Orna replied confidently.

I stared at her in awe. "How do you-"

"I've trained myself to read the sky." She said, smiling again.

_That's quite impressive. She'd make a great-. _I quickly shook my head to snap myself out of it. _Focus on your mission_. I reminded myself. "Well it's been great, uh getting to know you Little Miss Orna, but I think I have to go now." I said getting up and walking away. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain from my back and I sank to my knees. "Argh!" I exclaimed in agony.

"Mr. Kuda!" Orna said worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" I yelled. "Get away form me!"

Orna looked hurt at my outburst but nonetheless stepped back. "This is my fault." She said, a hint of regret in her voice.

"What?"

"I hit you with my Luminous Whip attack remember?"

For the second time that morning I stared at her, completely speechless. _She's actually taking the blame for this? _The weird feeling returned. _Why do I feel bad whenever she looks hurt? _"Th-that's okay." I managed as she helped my to my feet and walked me back to the tree. "I started it anyway..." I suddenly realized my predicament. "Damn it, how will I ever get to Mistral now?"

Her eyes lit up. "Mistral? Are you going to the Winter Solstice Festival too?"

"I have no time for childish-"

"Oh it's going to be great!" she continued, ignoring me. "There will be delicious treats and fireworks and we can meet the six heroes and-"

"Hold up there." I said curiously. "What was that last part?"

"You mean you didn't hear the news?" Orna quickly pulled out a flyer similar to the one Maxwell was reading to me back in her temple and began to read. "_REJOICE! Citizens of Mistral, for your brave and powerful hero Atro has triumphed over the gods' army while defending the Ruins of Mirza! This marks the 50th victory against the gods and the 10th victory in Mistral!" _I resisted the urge to stanch the paper and rip it in two. "_The citizens of Mistral have graciously allowed the Six Heroes to be a part of their annual Winter Solstice Festival! A lucky few will get to personally meet and greet the heroes themselves! The prince and princess of-" _She suddenly stopped, a melancholy look appearing on her face.

"You okay Orna?" I asked, somewhat concerned about the absence of her usually happy nature.

"I-its nothing. So are you going or not?" She said, her happy mood returning.

"Uh…" _Why on earth would I want to go to a festival celebrating a battle with the human army? Especially with a meet and greet with the six heroes! If I even see Atro's face again I'll- _Suddenly I had an idea. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know how to become one of the "lucky few" who get to meet the six heroes do you?"

"Well it says here the prince and princess of Mistral are holding a ball for the royalties in the region…" She trailed off. "But it wouldn't matter. With your current condition, we'd take longer than two weeks to reach Mistral and I don't think we-".

"There's a shortcut. I found an old path in The Destroyed Cathedral that leads straight to the Remains of Mirza."

"Really? How did you know that?" She said curiously.

"I've been around." I said simply. That wasn't exactly a lie, I had used that passage multiple times throughout the battle of Mirza to lead a small force of monsters into the back lines. That wasn't enough to win the battle, of course…

"So you're going?" Orna asked happily.

"On one condition. You make me a cure."

"What?" asked Orna, taken aback.

"I know The Blood Forest. There are green springs and green grass everywhere. Make a small bottleful, and my back should be fixed enough for my, uh _our_ journey." I said, hesitating at the end.

"You Promise?" Orna said carefully

"Yes, yes of course" I replied

The next thing I knew, I was being picked up and swung around in a tight squeeze-hug. "Oh thanks you thank you Mr. Kuda!" She exclaimed. "I've always wanted to see the fireworks since I was young! And thanks to you it's finally happening! Thankyouthankyouthankyou."

"Urg..just Kuda…is fine…you're….kinda…crushing me…." I choked.

"Oops sorry" Orna giggled. "Fear not Kuda, for I, Little Miss Orna, shall acquire your cure and safely bestow it upon your injured backside! Orna Awayyyyyy!" She yelled happily as she ran off.

I sighed and struggled to lean back against the tree. "What did I just get myself into?"

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><p>What do you think? Should I make Orna more bubbly? I tried to capture her personality as best as I could here but I don't know if I should add anything else. Please continue to review, it means a lot to me!<p>

I know Orna says "Mr. Kuda", but I think of them as only 1-3 years apart (Orna being 18-19 and Kuda being 20-21 ish). Anyway, it's probably just her nature to do something like that.

I apologize for any typos because for some reason, my Mac won't detect them all and I have to read the story over and over again to find them all. :/


	5. Favorites and Misunderstandings

Sorry for the wait, but Chapter 5 is here! Its mostly dialogue in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!

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><p>I breathed a deep sigh of relief as Orna poured the cure on my bare back. I could feel my broken bones beginning to mend and the pain slowly leaving my body.<p>

"Ready?" Orna asked anxiously.

I slowly got to my feet. "Alright but just to remind you, I'm just fulfilling my promise. So don't expect anything _extra_ during the night of the festival. This isn't because I like you or anything, just because it's convenient for me got it?"

"Yep, I gocha. Nothing more than a convenience." Her words seemed sincere enough, but the wry smile on her face would suggest otherwise. Was she _mocking me_?

"Whatever, let's just go. It's quite a ways to Sacred Mt. Craylia, but we should be able to get there by sundown."

Orna nodded her head in agreement and we started down the dirt path. Ten minutes passed in silence before Orna blurted out, "So who's your favorite?"

"…Sorry?"

"Of the six heroes? You almost declined going to the Winter Solstice Festival but changed your mind when I told you the six heroes were going. So you must really admire one of them to have such a big change in attitude, which one is it?"

"Look Orna, if there's something you should know about travelling with me it's that I don't like to talk."

She gave a slightly deflated expression at this, but stayed silent nonetheless. But a few minutes later, and…

"Is it Vargas?"

I ignored her and kept on walking.

"How about Eze? I think it's cool the way he charges lighning into his sword when he attacks."

Again, I ignored her and kept my eyes forward. _I've dealt with Maxie's poking before, so this should be nothing…_

"Magress? You seem to possess the same element, so maybe there is an affinity there..."

I gave a grunt of annoyance, but Orna missed the hint and continued pestering me.

"What about Selena? Guys always fawn over how beautiful her hair is, or how graceful she is with her sword or-"

"If I was that shallow, I would've proposed to you by now." I said impulsively. A second later, the reality of my comment struck me. _Did I just say that out loud?_

"….." Orna had ceased her poking, apparently deep in thought. I could see a slight blush on her cheeks and her lips slowly curved upward into a goofy smile.

I rolled my eyes. Is she really imagining that? And is she _enjoying _it?

"Hello? Hello?" I shook her back and forth. "Grand Gaia to Orna". She shook her head and looked at me, an expression of embarrassment on her face. She had _definitely_ enjoyed whatever fantasies between us she had created. Geez, and I thought her sleeping next to me was creepy.

"You know that was a joke right?"

"Ye-yes I….joke…right…" She said weakly. In a flash, she was back to her questioning.

"Well if it's not Selena, then what about Lance? His demon spear is cool and he can control the earth and he's like "one with nature" and he-"

I stifled a laugh. _Oh, Tia_.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing."

Orna gave a sharp breath of annoyance, but dropped the subject.

Of the six heroes, Lance was the once I had never seen before. Perhaps it was because Rowgen was a prick and refused to share "valuable information about his mission" with the rest of the loyalists. Orna's description of him reminded me of when Rowgen and Tia were sent out together for "bonding" after Maxwell was fed up with their arguments. I don't know the details of what happened on that mission, but I overheard Rowgen taunting Tia on the way back to the temple.

"_Oh you like him don't you?_ _Don't deny it Tia"_

_"__Shut up"_

_"__He's one with nature just like you! I know you can't resist his spiky green hair or his adorable little glasses…"_

_"__Augh! You are so annoying!" Tia said as she stormed off._

"Well that leaves Atro." Orna said, interrupting my thoughts. "D-do you think she's…pretty?"

_Did she really say Atro was a- _"C-come again?" I asked, trying to hold back my laughter.

"I was just asking if you thought Atro was pretty or not. I know you said that you're not into girls based on looks but she-"

I burst out laughing.

"W-what is it THIS time?"

"Atro…..is….a…GUY!" I managed between breaths.

Orna's expression was priceless. "WHAT!? That's impossible! She can't…he cant….whaaa…"

"You really thought he was a girl?" I laughed.

"Well, she, uh he has long hair and the war support fliers refer to him as "Goddess" Atro so…"

"Probably just a typo. I mean, I've seen the guy many times before so I know for sure he-"

"You have?" Orna asked, surprised. "That is so COOL! Did you get his autograph?"

"Well no, but…" I trailed off. _Shit I've said too much!_ I mentally berated myself. I shook my head, "That's none of your business." I firmly stated.

"So you DO like Atro best!" Orna teased happily.

"Are you stupid? There is no way in hell I would ever like-"

"Kuda likes Atro! Kuda likes Atro!" Orna sang happily, skipping around the path.

"Orna! Shut up! Stop this! HEY!" I screamed as she grabbed my hands and begun to dance around with me.

"ENOUGH!" I screamed breaking free of her grasp and covering her mouth with my hands. "I'm going to make this VERY clear to you. I DO NOT have an affinity for guys, let alone that obnoxious knight. In fact, I don't even bother with romance at all."

"Huh? Why not?" Orna asked surprisedly.

"Love weakens you and the object of your desires can be used against you." I stated proudly. "Then there's always the issue of breakups and all that crap."

"But there are also moments of happiness when you are dating." Orna explained. "You know, those magical moments between you and your beloved when you share secrets or stories or even a kiss…" She trailed off, her eyelids fluttering as she pranced about.

_And she's off again._ I thought. _I can't believe I promised to take her to that stupid festival just to get a chance to kill Atro. Maxwell better reward me for this…_

The red trees of the Blood Forest that marked both sides of the path began to grow farther and farther apart until finally disappearing and giving way to snowy fields. The path we were walking on began to fade as we moved along, eventually stopping at the base of an enormous white mountain.

"Great, we're here."

"Mistral already?" Orna asked hopefully.

"You wish. This is Sacred Mount Craylia, the first stop on our journey."

"It's s-s-so c-c-cole here!" Orna shivered.

"Well get used to it." I said firmly. "We're spending the night."

"What!? Are you crazy? We'll freeze to death!" Orna exclaimed. "Why don't we just cross this and rest in the desert?"

"Unless you want to die of hypothermia halfway through the mountains, I suggest you camp here for now. It is almost nighttime, and temperatures can be deadly here, not to mention the monsters that come out at night."

"Fine" Orna frowned, plopping down on the ground.

"Hey don't relax now! Grab some wood for the fire, I'll find us a place to sleep."

"Hmph." Orna stomped off, muttering something about a bossy, fatheaded ninja as I began to look around for a big enough area for us to sleep in."

The fire flickered against the dark sky as Orna and I munched on some fruits I had found on the way out of the forest. They weren't exactly delicious, but after travelling all day and eating nothing, I gobbled up every bite. Our campsite was fairly simple, a large, flat area surrounded by rocks and sticks I had placed for protection. Mats of grass and leaves lay on the ground for sleeping. Not quite comfortable like my room in Maxwell's Temple, but good enough to survive in. When I finished eating, I got up.

"Alright, you can go to bed now. I'll keep watch tonight."

"Aren't you going to be tired?" Orna asked worriedly.

"No. We'll take turns night after night. It'll be your turn tomorrow. Naturally I would make us do shifts, but since you seem to have to experience I'll just keep watch for the whole night. You'll need the sleep anyway."

"Are you sure? I can switch if you wa-"

"Yes I'm sure. Now off you go."

"But-"

"Bed. NOW." I said forcefully. Orna sulked and lay onto her leaf "mattress". Barely any time had passed when she spoke up.

"I'm cold, Kuda."

"I already warned you about this." I sighed. "Just stay by the fire and you'll be fine". Orna lay back down, only to complain again a few minutes later.

"It's still reaaaly cold…"

"What the hell am I supposed to do about it?" I asked annoyed. "You have a fire, you have a grass mat and blanket, what more can I do to make this more comfortable for you?"

"You could…..er….sleep with me." Orna asked sheepishly.

"No." I said flatly. "We already agreed to NEVER do that again. Just put up with it until morning alright?"

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with a squirty on top?"

"You know I'm not shallow enough to chase something based on it being "pretty", nor am I a fan of squirties."

"Fine." Orna sighed sadly. The familiar feeling of guilt entered my chest as my heart sank. _What the hell is wrong with me? Am I really going soft over this bubbly girl?_ I ignored the feeling and looked forward, keeping my eyes peeled for any surprise monster attacks.

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><p>Feel free to review on whether or not you like dialogue-based chapters more. Next chapter will be mostly description with some action-y parts so you can compare the two when I release it.<p> 


	6. The Whip Master's Dilema

It's been a long time guys, sorry! This chapter may be a little short, but I should be back to a regular weekly uploading schedule after this! Enjoy

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><p>What a meanie.<p>

I know we just met, but it shouldn't be THAT bad having to sleep next to me right? Right? It was so cold too! How can he leave me here alone?

_Maybe he thinks you're ugly_. I thought. _I mean, men do that kind of stuff to women they find pretty right…_ I banished the thought. He said so himself that he wasn't the type of guy who judged based on looks.

"_If I was that shallow, I would've proposed to you by now."_

I felt some heat rise to my cheeks as I remembered his witty comment. Sure he may have meant it as a joke, but he said it with such enthusiasm that he must've meant something by it…right? I rolled over in my leaf mat to look at him. He had his back to me, still looking out for the monsters that would probably never appear. What kind of beasts hunt during this climate at this time of night anyway? _He's probably just looking for reasons to not sleep with-_ I shook my head. If he won't do it, he won't do it. No need to force something like_ that_. It was still quite a ways to Mistral from what I gathered, so maybe I can make something work between us… Again, I shook my head. _Don't fall for him so easily you idiot! He may turn out like that jerk prince! _

My thoughts drifted to his promise of taking me to the Winter Solstice Festival. _H__e's different._ I thought. _Maybe…just maybe…he'll be the one to show me true happiness…_ Thoughts of Kuda continued to fill up my head until I gave in to my exhaustion from the sheer cold and fell asleep.

...

I woke up to the crackling sounds of the fire and the odd scent of something burning. Sitting up, I saw Kuda spinning two sticks over the fire with some sort of blue and purple squid attached to it.

"Managed to sleep without me eh?" He asked, smirking. When I gave no reply, he handed me one of the sticks. "I killed these while you were sleeping. Have some roasted Rantoul." The squid smelled good enough to eat, but that may have been a result of my empty stomach. I took a cautious bite and my mouth was instantly filled with the savory juices of the squid. The skin was crunchy, but the flesh itself was soft and melted in my mouth. It was easily the best meal I had eaten in a while.

"Mph, mish weally gwood." I said, wolfing down bite after bite of the roasted squid. Kuda gave me a confused look, but nodded his head and continued to soon as he had finished, Kuda stood up and proclaimed "Get up. It's time to go."

I stood up slowly. "Already? But-"

"We're gonna have to leave now if we want any hope of passing through Mount Craylia before the sun sets."

I nodded my head. "Alrighty then." It was already cold enough at the bottom of the mountain and I could only imagine how much worse it would be trapped in the snow during nighttime.

We left our makeshift campsite behind and began our slow climb up the mountain. Here, the snow only created a thin layer across the ground, with the occasional rock or tree poking through. The slope of the mountain wasn't too difficult to scale, even with my awkward heeled boots. _Hey this isn't so bad_ I thought to myself, _Maybe I can-_

"I'm gonna have to warn you." Kuda said suddenly. "It's chaos at the top. There are always heavy snowstorms and hungry monsters waiting for a traveller to be exhausted by the cold before striking. I've never travelled with anyone before, but stick to me and you should be fine".

"No problem-o Kuda!" I said, running to his side and clutching his hand. "You'll protect me!"

"Eh? What are you…? Oh whatever, do what you want." He replied, some red appearing on his cheeks. I giggled at this and focused my attention forward as we continued our trek up the side of the mountain.

...

I could feel the air becoming thinner and thinner as temperatures dropped around me. The snow I used to crush underneath my boots was now slightly higher, sending a chill from my ankles whenever I put my foot down. The trees that graced the path grew scarcer and scarcer as a light snow began to fall. I shivered.

"D-d-do you have a technique for end-d-uring this w-w-weather?" I shakily asked.

He laughed, "You just get used to it after travelling through here so much."

I gave a casual "Hmph." And pushed myself against him. He stiffened at contact, but continued to walk as if nothing happened. _He's surprisingly warm_ I thought. _I wonder if that's because-_ I mentally slapped myself. _No. No. do NOT think about that now. Focus on surviving._

The snowstorm began to slowly increase in strength around us, the small crystals that fell were replaced by huge globs of white powder that pelted me from all angles. The snow was now up to my shins, making me take even bigger steps as I trudged along. I shivered and clung tighter to Kuda, forcing a small grunt out of him.

"H-h-how much longer?" I spoke, beginning to lose feeling in my toes.

"Distance doesn't matter anymore, just keep walking." Kuda yelled, his voice barely audible as the winds picked up around us.

I squinted. The blizzard was now thick enough to prevent me from seeing anything in front of me. The snow got deeper around me, covering anything below my thighs. Ever step I took sent a chill through my body as the cold slowly began to take over my senses. Thoughts of freezing to death began to enter my mind. Would I even make it out of here? Would…we even make it out of here?

Suddenly Kuda froze, his eyes darting back and forth around us.

"What's-"

"GET DOWN!" Kuda yelled, tackling me into the snow. He scrambled onto me, laying over me as if to protect me from something. If it hadn't been for the extreme cold, I'd be blushing immensely at our current position.

"W-what are you-"

"It's an ambush." Kuda whispered. "There are Sahuagins surrounding us waiting to strike."

"We can beat them right? I mean, they're not really strong…" I trailed off hopefully.

Kuda shook his head. "Not like this. This blizzard is crazy and I can't see anything. I was always warned never to travel here during winter, and I finally know why."

Even in the midst of my panic, those words stood out to me. _He knew it would be dangerous to travel through here during this time of year and decides to go with me anyway? Why?_

My thoughts were interrupted when Kuda suddenly whispered, "Alright here's the plan. On "three" we run. There's a cave not too far from here that I usually stay in overnight. It's not exactly comfortable, but it'll provide us shelter. You ready?"

"W-well no I…" I stammered. _How does he expect me to keep up with him? I can barely move my feet in this cold…_

"Good. Onetwothree RUN!" Kuda yelled, pushing off of me and taking off. Shrieks from the Sahuagins echoed around us as Kuda began to disappear in the blizzard.

"Wait for meeee!" I cried, desperately scrambling to my cold feet and starting off after him. Spears whizzed past me as the Sahuagin growls got louder and louder. Chills shot through me with every step through the thick snow, but I ignored them and kept going. Suddenly, realization struck me; Kuda was nowhere to be found. Worry started to spread through me as I looked around hopelessly. _Where did he go? Why did he run away so quickly? D-does he want me to-_ My thoughts were interrupted as searing pain shot through my back. I collapsed to my knees in the snow and carefully felt my back for the source. I felt three talons and immediately recognized it as one of the Sahuagin's weapons. I looped my hand around the hilt and cried out as more pain shot through me. _So, no point it pulling it out then_. I mused. I began to shake, not from the freezing blizzard, but out of fear of what was going to happen to me. There was no way I could outrun the Sahuagins in my current state, and fighting them is definitely not a possibility. I_f Kuda was here he'd-_ I sniffed and held in my urge to cry. _He's not here anymore, remember? He left you just like that prince… _Doubts began to return to my mind as I knelt down cold and wounded in the snow. _It all makes sense now, he never really wanted to help you, he just wanted the perfect opportunity_ _to kill you after you knocked him out_. _That promise of his was a lie! He…he…never loved..._And then everything I had gone through since the start of this perilous climb came crashing down on top of me. I began to sob.

_Why Kuda…why…_

Any adrenaline I had in my body dissipated as I collapsed completely onto the snow.

_I thought for sure…_

I rolled over on my side and brought my knees to my chest.

…_that you would be…._

I heard a growl from behind me and closed my eyes, waiting for my life to end.

…_the one for me._

As my consciousness slipped away, I could hear a voice ring out from the blizzard raging around me. It was a voice of anger, like when a parent scolds their child. It was a voice of frantic searching, like a man looking for a bag full of zel. It was a voice full of worry, despite how angry the speaker was. But most importantly, it was a voice of love. The same type of love that causes someone to sacrifice anything they deemed reasonable as to be with the one they loved. It was…._his_ voice.


	7. The Master Assassin's Dilema

Sorry for the wait again, I had a busy school week. Mostly description in this chapter, so enjoy! I'll try to get another chapter later this week to make up for it...

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><p>"ORNA? ORNA? WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" I yelled, throwing away all logic of her actually hearing me in the raging blizzard. I had taken off running and had expected her to be right behind me. Unfortunately, she seemed to have gotten lost and was nowhere to be found.<p>

"LITTLE MISS ORNA? COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE!" I screamed again desperately, my words lost to the howling winds. I had managed to retrace my steps back to my starting point, but again, Orna was nowhere in sight. Undaunted, I continued my search for her, blindly walking around until my foot hit something hard. I reached down to examine it and was immediately struck with fear as I recognized the shape: a Sahuagin trident. _Dammit_ I cursed, _If those Sahuagin find her first they'll-_ I ceased anymore thoughts about what may happen and frantically began to follow the scattered path of tridents lodged in the snow.

I was unsure of what exactly was driving me to go to such lengths for a girl like Orna. I mean here I am, a Master Assassin, risking my life in this blizzard for an ecstatic young girl. And for what…._a kiss?_ I slapped myself. No. Not back to that again. _You've committed countless heartless assassinations throughout the war and you're risking life and limb for love?_ "What a wimp I am." I laughed to myself. "What's stopping me from just leaving her behind, right here, right now? Nothing, that's what. I should just-" And then I saw her. She was curled up in the snow, possibly to conserve warmth or to avoid detection. Her back was to me, and I could make out the faint shape of a Sahuagin trident lodged in her back. All selfish thoughts immediately left my mind as I ran over to help her.

"Orna! Hey, you alright?" _Of course she's not alright you idiot!_ I said, my mind berating me at the foolishness of my comment. I curled my arms around her body and held her against me. Her skin was ice cold and she was shivering uncontrollably. On the bright side, she was alive, but for how much longer was unknown.

I heard a soft growl from behind me and immediately whipped out my blade and spun around, decapitating a lunging Sahuagin in the process. Shrieks resonated from around me as more Sahuagin began to creep up on me, attempting to avenge their fallen comrade. I quickly picked up Orna and slung her over my left shoulder, holding her in place with my left arm as I poked the approaching Sahuagins with my blade whip. They began to appear all around me, pure hunger and rage filling their eyes as they slowly inched closer to me. Usually, this would be no problem, but if I had to carry Orna, I would be weighed me down. Sahuagins were expert hunters, using the classic "surround and kill technique to hunt their prey. This circle proved to be no exception. My eyes darted back and forth to look for an opening I could abuse. Finding nothing, I decided to make one. I focused my willpower to my blade and soon felt its power radiating next to me. _GODLESS!_

Purple energy blasted form the tip of my blade, completely wiping out the Sahuagins standing in front of me. Seizing the opportunity, I hoisted Orna onto my shoulder and sprinted through the gap. The Sahuagins quickly recovered form their shock and began to chase after me, slithering at incredible speeds after me as I bolted away.

I had travelled through this mountain enough times to know the signs pointing to the exact location of the cave. My eyes spotted an odd green rock on the side of the path wedged between two snow covered ones and I breathed a sigh of relief _almost there, just 1000 meters more_. I heard a whoosh sound as a trident flew past me that could only mean one thing: the Sahuagins were getting closer. My feet were aching from the difficult trek through the mountain but I couldn't give up now. _800 meters. _Even in the midst of the raging blizzard and my adrenaline-pumped body I could hear the hissing of my hunters. _600 Meters. _I felt a sharp pain in my back, just to the right of where Orna's head hung. Sahuagins' spears carried a poison, weakening the body to the point of exhaustion and making the victim easy prey. I had developed quite the resistance to such venom, but that wasn't enough. I could see the faint outline of the cave in the distance, almost obscured by the blinding snowstorm. _200 Meters_. My eyesight began to get hazy, but I fought off the pain as I forced my legs to move one stride after another as I continued forward.

Hard, rough rocks replaced the mushy snow on the ground as I approached the opening of the cave. It had a small entrance, just high enough for a fully-grown man to enter. Stalagmites covered both sides of the cave, giving it the appearance of a gaping maw. Suddenly, fear struck me as I realized my predicament: the Sahuagins were still behind us and would follow us into the cave. Panic began to rush through me as I arrived at the entrance, desperately trying to think of a way to avoid confronting the fish-man army. Usually I would stand at the entrance and kill them as they funneled through, but I could feel the poison creeping over my body and fighting would have to mean putting down Orna and leaving her vulnerable.

Ear piercing shrieks erupted from behind me and I turned around to see ten, not twenty, no thirty Sahuagins slowly slithering on the rocks towards us. I sighed deeply, _there was only one thing left to do_. With a roar I bolted into the cave's opening, thrusting my blade into the sides at full force as I entered. The cave shook behind me as stalactites began to fall down. I looked behind me and snickered as rocks began to cover the entrance of the cave, flattening any Sahuagins that tried to follow us in. I gave a sigh of relief and reached behind me for the trident wedged in my back, swearing as I pulled it out. _it was over_.

The cave eventually stopped shaking, so I sat down, lifted Orna off of my back, and leaned her against one of the walls. Even though there was no light in the now pitch-black cave, my eyes could still make out her unique yellow hair shape. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing slightly. I gave a painful laugh _this was all her fault_. She had aimlessly travelled the wrong way and attracted the Sahuagin hunters, gotten herself wounded and poisoned by their tridents, and she had forced me to run from a fight, something I vowed NEVER to do._? She's unconscious and vulnerable _a voice in my head said _you COULD kill her now. She's done nothing except slow you down so far, and I'm sure she won't last against that ice demon… _I shook my head and took a deep breath, it was still a long way until we would arrive at the Morgan, and an even longer way to the Egor Mountains, plus she's proven herself worthy in combat…

I lay down as I felt the poison beginning to make me unconscious. It wouldn't kill me, or her for that matter as its purpose was to weaken, but even someone as battle hardened as myself could not withstand its effects for long. I gave the sleeping Orna one last look as I drifted off into sleep. Sure she was annoying, and talkative, and overly energetic, but she had trusted me, some one she just met, to take her safely from St. Lamia all the way to Mistral. And why? Because I promised her. No one, not even Kuhla trusted me that much. You don't just pour all your trust into someone you just met! There had to be another motive. But what could it be? Love? I drifted off to sleep with Orna's words echoing in my head.

_"__But there are also moments of happiness when you are dating." Orna explained. "You know, those magical moments between you and your beloved when you share secrets or stories or even a kiss…"_


End file.
